On page 37, a remark, said "privately" by Sen. Harry Reid, about Barack Obama's racial appeal. Though Reid would later say that he was neutral in the presidential race, the truth, the authors write, was that his

encouragement of Obama was unequivocal. He was wowed by Obama's oratorical gifts and believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama -- a "light-skinned" African American "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one," as he said privately. Reid was convinced, in fact, that Obama's race would help him more than hurt him in a bid for the Democratic nomination.

I'm sorry, but this is the kind of mess that just angers me. White folks pretending that Barack Obama was the first Black person to graduate from Harvard when W.E.B. DuBois got his Phd from Harvard in 1895.

There were whole swaths of Black folk who were educated BEFORE the Civil Rights Movement.

W-T-F is NEGRO DIALECT?

NEGRO DIALECT?

Do you honestly believe that Black people walk around talking Ebonics? That you aren't talking about a SUBSET of people?

That the overwhelming majority of BLACK people with BLACK parents IN AMERICA were raised speaking the ' King's English', and that we were liable to get hurt if we didn't.

This was an insult by Reid, but guess what, it's not an insult that any other EDUCATED BLACK PERSON hasn't heard in their lifetime.

The whole, they know you went to college and graduate/professional school, but will utter the words - to your face-' you speak so well.'

You grit your teeth and maybe mumble something, but what you want to say is..

I have 2 degrees[if not more], you idiot. what do you think I had to do in order to get them? That there's a specific ' Black degree', where they allow you to do whatever to get a degree?

Barack Obama: light-skinned?

Does he even pass the paperbag test?

I will remind you that Reid is also SUSPECT because of all the maneuvering and interference he did in the ILLINOIS SENATE SEAT, where it was reported how he SPECIFICALLY went after ALL THE BLACK CANDIDATES UNDER CONSIDERATION.

Days before Gov. Blagojevich was charged with trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder, top Senate Democrat Harry Reid made it clear who he didn’t want in the post: Jesse Jackson, Jr., Danny Davis or Emil Jones.

Rather, Reid called Blagojevich to argue he appoint either state Veterans Affairs chief Tammy Duckworth or Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, sources told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Sources say the Senate majority leader pushed against Jackson and Davis — both democratic congressmen from Illinois — and against Jones — the Illinois Senate president who is the political godfather of President-elect Barack Obama — because he did not believe the three men were electable. He feared losing the seat to a Republican in a future election.

First of all, this isn’t about Davis or Jones, who would have been nothing but caretakers anyway. Actually, scratch Davis. Nobody thinking who actually follows Danny Davis, thought that he was SINCERELY considering leaving his SAFE Congressional seat, and the ability to pad that federal pension for another easy decade for something that would be OVER in 2010.

Jones, who had retired from the Illinois Senate, would have been a caretaker. Period. He’s in his 70’s, and this would have been the capper for a long public service career.

No. This was all about Jesse Jackson, Jr.

Deciding from ‘ on high’, that Jesse Jackson, Jr. couldn’t win.

Well, excuse me, if I think that’s up to Jesse Jackson, Jr. to try and if he doesn’t win in a Democratic Primary in 2010, so be it. But, if he won the Democratic Primary, it would be up to the ILLINOIS Democratic Party to put out and help him get over the hump in 2010.

I believed it when it was first reported, but others gave him the ' benefit of the doubt'. No longer.

It is what it is.

And remember Reid's George Wallace imitation when it came to Roland Burris.

3 comments:

Don't let the Republicans (or emotions) distract you and get you riled up. That's what the media wants... that's why they can't leave this story alone.

This is not nearly as big of a deal as the media (and Republicans) make it out to be.

Been busy and stuck in writers block this week... but if I find the time, i'll respond to this a little more.

But I think MSNBC's "Countdown" and NPR's "Tell Me More" pretty much covered this appropriately on Monday. They echoed my sentiments.

I'll be free from the plantation tomorrow and may post the video/audio from those (Monday evening) segments.

And since when are the Republicans the stalwarts of racial equality... and the watchdogs against racism?

Please!

I guess I have to disagree with most of what you stated. In fact, it was Clinton's comments that were much more troubling and revealing.... showing I was on the right track w/ my bloodhound analytical senses...that told me that the Clinton's = bull----. The back and forth between Clinton and Kennedy... now that's much more of a story....if the media has the need to distract us from more important issues...at least they could pick something more worthwhile.

You seem to be falling in line with Michael Eric Dyson and those folks. (you should already know by now how I feel about Dyson & Co.).

The essence of my response (if I ever get around to posting) is that although Reid's comments were inappropriate... they were more of a commentary on White America (he was talking about what whites would accept)...as opposed to showing Reid as a racist. Reid is a victim of his age. He's not a racist IMO... but old.

And Reid should step down from his post.... this is what I have been saying for quite some time now... for at least the last 18 months to two years I have been saying it. NOT because of his comments reg. Obama. But because he is a weak Senate Majority Leader....(he sucks!) AND he is in a really vulnerable situation...potentially losing his seat. He should have given up his post a long time ago.

"Do you honestly believe that Black people walk around talking Ebonics? That you aren't talking about a SUBSET of people?

That the overwhelming majority of BLACK people with BLACK parents IN AMERICA were raised speaking the ' King's English', and that we were liable to get hurt if we didn't."

I know what Reid meant. A Black dialect to him could = accent... different groups have different dialects....and some dialects may be more or less acceptable to the white majority (which is a fact and is what he was getting at). however... i'm not excusing his stupid comment at all.

And unfortunately... ebonics...or ebonics tinged English is much more of the standard... particularly for younger generations of Black Americans. Why, because Rap culture has slithered its way into mainstream American culture...and has become much more acceptable. I wish this weren't the case, but it's true....unfortunately.

Sorry... not really just a subset anymore. Came to that realization a decade ago... and it is like waking up and realizing that your nightmare is real, esp for Blacks and Black culture. I wish we could say that it's just a subset and could brush it aside... but it's one of those inconvenient truths.

Go to any predominantly Black public school in any one of the nations major metro/urban areas....and see what you find. Look at the test scores... look at the writing/language and test scores for English. Talk to the English teachers & writing teachers about where these kids are in terms of their language and writing skills.

And this has nothing to do with the Illinois Senate seat or Burris. Burris was appointed by a crook....and was not being forthcoming himself with investigators. Although he wasn't prosecuted (should have been charged) Burris had to be admonished by the Illinois legislature.

"The two parties have combined against us to nullify our power by a ‘gentleman's agreement' of non-recognition, no matter how we vote ... May God write us down as asses if ever again we are found putting our trust in either the Republican or the Democratic Parties." -- W.E.B. DuBois (1922)